Typewriting machine



Sept. 2 1924. 1,506,787 B. C. STICKNEY TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Aug. 1'7. 192! Patented Sept. 2, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIQE.

BURN'HAIVE C. STIOKNEY, 6F ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, T0 U'NYD'EERVOOI) TYPEWRITER COIVEPANY, OF NET V YGEK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAXVARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application filed August 17, 1921.

1 0 (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BURNHAM C. STICK- NEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to spring drums for typewrit-ing machines, and more particularly to spring-drums and associated means for effecting and controlling the movement of the typewriter carriage in letter-feeding direction, as in tabulating work, where the carriage is released to the action of the drum fora jump from one column position or stop to another.

The weight of the carriage and its gathered momentum, due to accelerat- "1g speed. when released for any considerable jump, make desirable the provision of some form of carriage-retarding or speed-governing means if injury to the carriage and column-stops, due to severe shocks, is to be avoided. A variety of such retarding or speed-governing means have heretofore been provided. Due to limitations as to space, and to avoid as far as possibl modification of standard parts, it is highly desirable that any such retarding or governing devices be capable of being assembled, within the drum, in as small a space as may be possible without sacrifice of eiiiciency. It is also desirable that the spring which draws the carriage be of character to exert substantially the same pullv on the carriage, in letter-feeding, in any position of the carriage, and, the longer the spring, the better it appears to serve this purpose. The spring capacity of a drum of normal size is, however, necessarily limited, and difficulty has heretofore been encountered in attempts to house an eiiicient retarding device together with such a spring in a drum of normal size.

An objectof the present invention is the combination within a spring-drum, which may be of normal size, of a. speed governor of the assuredly efficient centrifugal type, such for instance as is shown in patent to H. L. White, No. 1,1912%, granted July 18, 1916, and of a retarding device preferably of the friction-brake type, controlled by the governor, while yet providing room within the drum for a spring of such length as to Serial No. 492,907.

exert substantially the same pull on the carriage in all positions of the latter. r. further object of the invention is the provision within the drum of a stationary hollow spool or cup of such size as to be adapted to contain the governor and re tarding device; and of a long spring in the form of a resilient wire wound alternately backward and forward on the spool in superposed layers, so as to be contained within the limited annular space between the stationary cup and revoluble drum body.

A. further object of the invention is the provision of speed-multiplying gearing between the drum and the governor. This assures effective action of the governor at a moderate speed of drum rotation, and compensates for the shortness of the radius or active arm of the governor as prescribed by the limited diameter of the cup within which it is seated.

The gearing: is arranged not only to drive the governor and retarder at a higher speed than tne sprim -drum, but in the opposite direction as well. Th oppositely-rotating engaging surfaces of the retarder and the drum produce a very effective braking action between them in spite of the necessarily limited areas of their braking surfaces.

Qther features of the invention relate to a mounting of the friction br lre whereby, when acted on by the governor, it may grip the rotary drum to the stationary spool or c p; and to a tabulatord-tey control for the governor and brake, whereby the latter elements, which are normally ineffective, may be set for action when the carriage is to he jumped.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

in the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a sectional side view of a portion of an Underwood standard typewriter with my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the parts shown in Figure 1, parts being broken away to show the underlying structure.

Figure 3 is a front view of the mechanism shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken through the axis of the stud on which the springdrum is rotatable.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional side view, showing the means by which the carriage is released from the escapement mechanism.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Figure l, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the drum, showing the relatively movable inner and outer cups thereof with the coil-spring shown between the same.

Figure 8 is a detail view showing the connection between the friction disks of the retarding device.

A platen 1 is rotatably mounted in a carriage 2, which is supported on a front rail 3 and a rear rail 1 and urged in a letter-feeding direction by means of a strap 5 connected at one end to the carriage and at the other end to a spring-drum 6. Movement of the carriage, under the urging of the springdru'm, is controlled by suitable escapement mechanism comprising a rack 7 connected with the carriage to travel therewith and meshing with a pinion 8 having a one-way connection with an escapement wheel 9, which, in turn, is controlled by fast and loose dogs 10 and 11, respectively.

Depression of a tabulator-key (not shown) acts through a link 12 and an arm 13 to rock a column-stop frame 14 about a shaft 15 until the frame is checked in its forward move ment by any suitable means, such as a stop 16. The forward movement of the frame 1a will cause a column-stop 17, operatively positioned thereon, to be brought into the path of a stop 18 mounted on the typewriter car'- riage. At the same time, an arm 19, secured to the shaft 15, will be swung downwardly tov actuate a lever 20 about its pivot 21, to cause a roll 22 at the forward end there of to lift the rack 7 out of engagement with the pinion 8, thereby releasing the carriage and permitting it to be drawn by the springdrum 6 in the letter-feeding direction until the counter-stop 18 on the carriage is moved into engagement with the next operatively positioned stop 17. A spring 23 attached to the column-stop frame 1 1 and bearing on the main frame holds the stop frame against accidental displacement in normal position, and returns the same to normal position when the tabulator-keyis released. The mechanism just described is, in general, similar to that disclosed in the patent to H. Crutchley, No. 929,080, dated July 27, 1909.

When tabulation is effected in the manner just described, unless provision to the contrary is made, the stop 18 on the carriage is likely to strike the operatively set stop 17 with great force, a result which is obviously undesirable. To reduce the force of this impact, in the present invention the drum is made of a novel construction to accommodate a retarding or braking device, and is provided with other features now to he de+ scribed.

Referring more particularly to Figure 4, the drum is seen to comprise a rotary cupshaped outer member 25 and a smaller stationary cup-shaped member 26 seated within the same; these two members being connected by a spring 27, located in the annular chamber between the two members 25 and 26. In order that the spring 27 in this limited space may be of such length and style as to exert substantially the same pull upon the carriage in all positions of the lat ter, the spring is shown as in the form of a resilient wire wound alternately back and forth in several coils or layers, one outside of another, on the cup or spool 26. The spring is shown as connected at its outer end at 28 to the outer rotary drum-member 25, and at its inner end at 29 to the inner sta tionary cup me mber 26.

The rotary drum member 25 is carried on ball-bearings 30 on an arbor 31 of'the cup 26, ournaled in a bracket 32 projecting from the frame of the machine. Except for purposes of adjustment the arbor 31 and cup 26 are held against rotation in the bracket 32. The spring 27, being fastened to the'lixed cup 26 and to the rotary drunrmember 25, tends to turn the latter on the bearings 30 to throw the carriage when the latter is re leased. Adjustment of the tension of the spring 27 may be effected by means of a worm or screw rotatably mounted in the bracket 32, and having a head 3 1 by which it may be turned to rotate a worm-gear 35 fixed on the arbor 31.

Within the cup 26 is located the braking or retarding device. The outer or revoluble drum-member 25 has afront face or disk 36, which is threaded at 37 into the annular flange of the drum so as to be removable or adjustable thereon, and which serves to close the annular spring-containing chamber as well as to close the brake-containing chamber formed by the fixed inner cup 26. The braking or retarding device within the in ner Nip-member 26 is of the general type shown in said patent to H. L. lVhite, No. 1,191,25 1, granted July 18, 1916, and, generally speaking, is a friction-brake controlled by a centrifugal speed-governor.

This brake mechanism consists of a pair of friction-disks 38 and 39, connected to rotate with a shaft 4L0, which has a central hearing in the front face 36 of the drum-member 26. These disks 38 and 39 are adapted to bear, respectively, against suitable compressible friction members 11 and 12, one of which is interposedbetween the disk 38 and the front face 36 of the drum, and the other between the disk 39 and the inner the cup 26.

The inner end of the shaft 40 is provided with a key or lugs 43 to enter correspond ing notches 1 1 in the disk 38, thus forming a driving connection with the disk. The disk face of l 38 is connected to drive the disk 39 by means of pins fixed to the disk 39 and having their free ends seated in openings 4:6 in the disk 38, this connection permitting a relative movement of the disks toward and from each other. The pins l5 are parallel with the shaft at) and have mounted thereon oppositely disposed weights ft? normally held together, as is shown in Figure 6, by means of a. coil-spring l8 and adapted to be thrown outwardly about their pivot pins by centrifugal force.

The ends of the spring 4-8 may be connected to pins 49 in the weights e7, slots or kerfs 50 in said weights being provided to receive the ends of the spring. On one face of each weight 47 is a cam 51 which may be in the form of a cone, each cam adapted to seat in a corresponding recess 52 in the disk 88, said recesses 52 being diametrically opposite each other and so located that when the weights 4E7 are moved inwardly to Figure 6 position, the cams 51 seat squarely in the recesses 52, permitting the disks 88 and, 39 to bear directly against the side faces of the weights.

When the typewriter carriage is released by the actuation of a tabulator-key, the speed with which the governor shaft 40 is rotated, as the carriage runs forwardly, is insuliicient at first to throw the weights t? out; the brake mechanism therefore does not have any material retarding action, and the carriage is permitted to quickly accelerate within a predetermined safe speed. If the carriage has only a short run, the brake will not act. In a longer run, as the carriage accelerates, the weights l? are thrown outwardly by centrifugal force, and the cams 51 are thereby moved laterally relatively to the recesses 52 and force the disk 38 outwardly in the direction of its axis against the friction member 41, which acts as a brake on the face 36 of the drum to retard the drum and thereby apply a braking action to the carriage. The disk 88 re-acts through the weights i? to apply an equal braking pressure to the disk 89 and conse quently to the fixed cup 26.

It will thus be seen that whenever the carriage is released through the operation of a tabulator-key, a quick acceleration is permitted, but excess of speed is prevented by the friction-brakes controlled by the governor and applied before the carriage has obtained an undesirable speed.

The outward throw of the weights 4:7 is limited by the cup flange, and the. parts may be so adjusted that when a certain speed is attained, the weights 47 are brought against the cup and act directly as frictionbralres thereon, or the braking action of the disks may be sufficient to prevent a speed that will throw the weights outwardly the full extent.

The brake members l1 and 42 may be made of any suitable material, preferably some material such as leather, which is com pressible to a substantial degree. The pressure on the members ll and 42 is controlled, and the power of the brakes therefore adjusted by means of the adjustable drum head 86, which, being threaded at 3'7, may be set up to secure any desired pressure on the brake members. The head 36 is held in adjusted position by means of spring-clips 5 f secured to the drum head 36 by screws 55 and 56, the ends of the clips setting into notches 5 in the periphery of the flange of the drum.

As hereinbefore noted, the shaft 40 is journaled for free movement in its bearing in the front face or head 36 of the drum, and it is this shaft which drives the governor through the intermediary of the disk 38 of the retarding device. The length of the effective arm or radius on which the governor weights rotate is limited by the size of the cup 26. This arm and the speed of rotation being the factors which deter mine the action ofthe governor, and one of these factors being determined by the diameter of the cup, increased effectiveness of the governor can best be obtained by multiplying its speed of drive from the drum. To this end, the invention in its preferred form comprises specd-nniltiplying gearing from the drum to the governor.

Fast on the shaft 40 is a pinion in mesh with a larger pinion 61, which is mounted for rotation on a stud-shaft 62, fixed to the head or face 36 of the drum. Also mounted on the shaft is a smaller pinion 63, which is fixed to the pinion 61 by pin (i l, so that the pinions 61 and always turn as a unit. The pinion 63 meshes with a fourth pinion (35, which is, in effect, a circular rack, loosely mounted on the shaft 40. Secured to the rack 65, by means of a pin 66, is a toothed wheel or ratchet (57, which is also loosely mounted on the shaft 40, and which, by reason of the pin 66, must act as a unit with the rac: 65. A pin or nut 68, or other suitable device, holds the ratchet 67- auo ear (35 against longitudinal displacement on the shaft 40. A dog 69 on an arm 70, carried by the frame 14, serves to catch and hold the ratchet 67 when the tabulating key is op erated.

Normally, that is to say, during the ordinary letterfeeding operation of the typewriter, the dog 69 is disengaged from the ratchet 67, and, as the drum has its letterfeed step-by-step rotary movement, the gears 61 and 63 are carried around by the drum without rotation on their own axis 62, and, being in mesh with the rack 65, carry the latter and the ratchet-wheel 67 around idly with them, the rack and ratchet 67 being loose upon the shaft d0.

IVhen the dog 69 is operated to hold the ratchet against rotation for tabulating purposes, and the carriage is released to the action of the drum for a min), the drum, as it rotates, carries with it, as before, the pinions 61 and 63. Now, however, the rack is held stationary, and, consequently, the pinion 63 is rotated by reason of being in mesh with the rack. The rotation of the pinion 63 effects a similar rotation of the pinion 61, and, through the latter, of the pinion 60. The rotation of the pinion 60 causes the shaft 40 and the governor-retarding device to be rotated.

It will be noted that the gear 63 is considerably smaller than the gear 61 and that the latter is considerably larger than the gear 60. Hence, there is a very considerable multiplication of speed in the drive from the drum to the governor. In this manner, the invention enables the use of a centrifugal governor actually located within the drum.

It will also be noted that the rotation of the drum in tabnlating operations is clockwise as viewed from the rear of the machine. The rotation of the gears 63 and 1 will also be clockwise, therefore, but the rotation of the gear 60, and consequently of the retarder and governor, is in counter-clockwise direction. This arrangement causes the engaging surfaces of the drum and retarder to rotate in opposite directions during tabulating operations and, therefore,

to act as a very effective brake when pressed together in spite of the smallness of their engaging areas.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the in'iprovementsmay be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, a springdruin having therein a retarding device connected to the drum to rotate in unison therewith in letterfeeding movements, but in the opposite direction during tabulating movements, and a centrifugal governor for pressing the retarding device against the drum and thereby rendering said retarding device effective toprevent excess speed of rotation of the drum.

2. In a typewriting machine, a carriage,

prising a disk connected to the drum to rotate therewith, a stationary member having a friction'surface opposed to said disk, and a centrifugal governor pivoted to said disk and having a cam thereon, to force the disk into frictional engagement with said stationary friction surface as the drum attains a certain speed.

4L. In a typewriting machine, a spring drum having therein a retarding device comprising a pair of spaced disks connected to each other and to the drum, to rotate with the latter, a stationary friction plate opposed to one of said disks, means between the disks for spreading the disks apart to force one of said disks into frictional engagement with the stationary friction plate, and a centrifugal governor for operating saidspreader 'at a given speed of the drum.

5. In a typewriting machine, a spring drum having therein a retarding device comprising a pair of spaced disks, one of which is connected to the drum to rotate therewith, a. pin by which said disks are connected to rotate together and on which pin one disk is movable toward and from the other, a centrifugal governor comprising a weight pivoted to said pin and carrying a device for spreading said disks apart at a given speed of rotation of the drum, and a stationary friction plate against which one of said disks is forced by the action of said spreader.

6.. In a typewriting machine, a spring drum having a rotary outer element and a stationary cup therein, the spring of which drum lies in an annular chamber between and connects said rotary and stationary el.e-

inents, a retarding device in said cup connected to the rotary element and adapted to'have frictional engagement with the cup, and a centrifugal governor within said cup for forcing the retarding device into frictional engagement with the cup at a given speed of the rotary element.

In a typewriting machine, a spring drum having a rotary outer element and a stationary cup therein, the spring of which drum is a resilient wire in superposed coils lying in an annular chamber between and connecting said rotary and stationary elements, a retarding device in said cup connected to the rotary element and adapted to have frictional engagement with the cup, and a centrifugal governor within said cup for forcing the retarding device into frictional engagement with the cup at a given speed of the rotary element.

8. Ina typewritingmachine, a spring drum having therein a centrifugal governor to control the speed of the drum, and multi plying-gearing connecting the drum to'the governor to cause the latter to rotate at higher speed than the drum. I

9. In a typewriting machine, a spring drum having therein a centrifugal governor to control the speed of the drum, a shaft coaxial with the drum, on which shaft said governor is carried, a gear fast to said shaft, 8. second and larger gear idly pivoted on the drum in mesh with the first gear, a third gear smaller than and integral with the sec- 0nd gear, a fourth gear, larger than the third gear, loosely pivoted on the shaft of the first gear, and means for holding the fourth gear stationary while the drum rotates, whereby, upon rotation of the drum, the stationary fourth gear causes the third gear and consequently the second and first gears to be rotated to effect higher speed of rotation of the governor than of the drum.

10. In atypewriting machine, a carriage, letter-feeding means therefor comprising a spring drum, a retarding device and a centrifugal governor therefor within the drum, a tabulating key, and means operated by the tabulating key for effecting a driving connection from the drum to the governor.

11. In a typewriting machine, a carriage, letter-feeding means therefor comprising a spring drum, a retarding device and centrifugal governor therefor within the drum, a normally ineffective driving connection from the drum to the governor, a ratchet normally revoluble with the drum, means controlled by the ratchet for rendering effective the driving connection from the drum to the governor when the ratchet is locked against rotation with the drum, and a tabulating key for so looking the ratchet.

12. In a typewriting machine, a carriage, letter-feeding means therefor comprising a spring drum, a retarding device and centrifugal governor therefor within the drum, a normally inefiective gearing for driving the governor from the drum, a ratchet normally revoluble with the drum, a. circular rack fast to the ratchet and meshing with said gearing to render the latter efiective when the ratchet is locked against rotation with the drum, and a tabulating key for so looking the ratchet.

13. In a typewriting machine, a carriage, letter-feeding means therefor comprising a spring drum, a retarding device and centrifugal governor there-for within the drum, a normally inefiective speed-multiplying gearing for driving the governor from the drum, a ratchet normally revoluble with the drum, a circular rack fast to the ratchet and meshing with said gearing to render the latter effective when the ratchet is locked against rotation with the drum, and a tab ulating key for so locking the ratchet.

14. In a typewriting machine, a carriage, a spring drum for driving the carriage, a stationary cup within said drum, the spring of said drum being a resilient wire wound back and forth in superposed layers in an annular chamber formed by the peripheries of the cup and the drum and being attached at one end to the drum and at the other end to the cup, a normally idle retarding device within the cup having friction surfaces for engagement on the one hand with the cup and on the other hand with the drum, a normally idle centrifugal governor within the cup for controlling the retarding device, a tabulating key, and means operated by the tabulating key for effecting driving connection between the drum and the governor to render the latter active.

15. In a typewriting machine, a revoluble spring drum, a stationary cup concentric within the drum, one face of the drum being a disk which closes and presents friction surface to the open face of the cup, a friction surface at the opposed closed face of the cup, a retarding device comprising two plates, one for engagement with each of said friction surfaces, a spreader between said plates for forcing the same against said friction surfaces, and a governor connected to the drum for actuating the spreader.

16. In a typewriting machine, a revoluble spring drum, a stationary cup concentric within the drum, one face of the drum being a disk which closes and presents a friction surface to the open face of the cup, a friction surface at the opposed closed face of the cup, a retarding device comprising two plates, one for engagement with each of said friction surfaces, a spreader between said plates for forcing the same against said friction surfaces, a governor connected to the drum for actuating the spreader, and means for adjusting said disk face of the drum to regulate the grip of the retarding device.

17. In a typewriting machine, a revoluble spring drum, a stationary cup within the drum, the spring of the drum being inter posed between the drum and the cup, a centrifugal speed-governor for the drum seated within the cup, and speedmultiplying gearing for driving the governor from the revoluble drum.

18. In a typewriting machine, a carriage, a carriage-propelling spring-drum, a retarding device within the spring-drum, and means driven by the spring-drum for causing the retarding device to rotate freely in unison with the spring-drum during letterfeeding and return movements of the carriage, and to rotate in the opposite direction to the direction of rotation of the spring-drum during tabulating operations, said retarding device acting to check the rotation of the spring-drum. by engagement therewith.

19. In a typewriting machine, a carriage, a carriage-propelling spring, and a plurality of frictionally-engaging elements driven in opposite directions by the spring during tabulating operations for retarding the movement of the carriage.

20. In a. typewriting machine, a carriage, tabulating mechanism, a spring-drum rotatable to propel the carriage, aretarding device in engagement with the drum and rotatable in unison therewith in letter-feeding operations, and means for reversing the direction of rotation of the retarding device When the tabulating mechanism is operated.

21.. In a typewriting machine having a carriage, carriage-propelling means and tabulating mechanism, means for retarding the speed of the carriage in tabulating movements, comprising a pair of engaging frietional elements relatively stationary during the letter-feed and return movements of the carriage and means for causing thev friet onal elements to be rotated in opposite/directlons during tabulatmg operations.

22. A carriage propelling and controlling device insertahle in a typewriting machine as a unit comprising means arranged to accelerate the typewriter carriage 1n tabulating operations to a predetermined speed,

and means to cause the carriage to be propelled uniformly at that speed throughout 

